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Sunday, August 23, 2009

Are you done with beach pictures already?

'Cause boy, am I feeling done with beach pictures!

As soon as I get home from a trip or an activity, I can't WAIT to blog about it. Life usually gets in the way, however, and it might be days or weeks before I can upload pictures, edit, resize, and pick the ones to make it on the blog. By then, I'm over it. The excitement has faded. All the words I had in my head all ready to type out to go along with the pictures have long since faded from my brain.

Our beach trip feels a million light years ago. Since we've returned, our family has done back-to-school shopping, revamped therapy schedules, registered for school, had soccer evaluations, hung out with our friends that are moving (in two weeks!), and taken a trip to ATL to see my parents one last time. Oh, and Jaina started her very first day of Second Grade already.

So why am I still blogging about the beach?

I only have one post left before I can transfer all the beach pictures onto our server to be viewed on our website. I thought about skipping it, but our little side trip to Charleston was just as important as any of the days at Pawley's.

After this, I'm done... I promise!

Charleston has always been labeled "The Holy City" in my mind ever since my first visit in the Fall of 1997. I was a college Freshman without a car. When my new best friends Farrell and Shelley asked me to go with them to a concert festival in Charleston, I quickly said YES! That was where I saw Jump Little Children for the very first time and fell in love with both the band and the city.

When Brian said he wanted to visit Charleston on the way back from Pawley's, I immediately imagined touring the historic Dock Street Theatre, stopping by 27 Cumming Street for a picture, eating at Jestine's Kitchen, listening to street musicians busk on the corner.

Brian had a completely different Charleston experience in his mind.

Our first stop was the Battery. There you could see actual cannons used in the revolutionary war. I've never been to the beach in Charleston, mainly because the majority of the JLC shows I went to were in the Fall or in the dead of winter. I was sad to realize that the water seemed very dirty and smelly next to the battery. I have been told that the beaches near Edisto and Isle of Palms are not like that.Brian and the kids pose for a picture sitting on one of the historic statues that serves as a marker for the battles that were fought there:Jaina loved climbing the century-old trees near the gazebo:Jayce didn't like it so much:After the battery, we decided to try to walk to our next location. It didn't seem very far at all on Brian's blackberry GPS. HA! That's what we get for trusting technology! After walking for almost a mile and not being anywhere near our destination, we trekked back to the car to drive there instead. But our walk was beautiful:

We passed historic homes painted all colors of the rainbow. We passed ornate iron gates and fences.We passed walls of english ivy and kudzu:While we were walking, we passed the famous (to me and all other Opiates) restaurant, Jestine's Kitchen. I'm willing to bet that each member of Jump, Little Children and each of their many followers has partaken in the traditional southern food of Jestine's time and time again. I have no idea why there was a line at almost 3:00 PM in the afternoon though.

But the city is not considered holy just for me.

Did you know that the original portrait of Stephen Colbert rests on the walls at the Sticky Fingers restaurant in down town Charleston? Either you already knew that or you really just don't care, but to Brian, this was one must see attraction.While we were waiting, Jayce entertained us by parroting an iCarly episode where Spencer drinks ketchup because a Magic 8 Ball told him to:Jaina worked diligently on the word find from the kids menu:So we decided to order dessert:

Jayce had an ABSOLUTE fit when he found out that we weren't getting chicken and fries, which to him, is the only thing you can get at a restaurant. No matter how many times we reminded him that he had chicken and fries just two hours earlier at Chick-fil-a, he would not calm down. We had to take him from the restaurant in tears where he cried all the way back to the car.

Of course, we ALL had to get our picture taken with the famous portrait:I've never felt like more of a dork for some reason. Or maybe, just like a tourist!

4 comments:

I like how you always use natural light. I attempted Flash on Friday at the school and I just got it all wrong.

I am so bad with editing, resizing and all that jazz, that I usually skip over an event, because it had past too long ago. Like our 4th of July beach trip, Uhh, I haven't even got the roll developed yet! I may just do a Highlight of summer post, who knows maybe I will have it done by Halloween. At least you finish yours. Looks like you had a great summer. It's fun to be a tourist.

I will probably be doing softball registration for Joshua, he keeps saying No way to soccer.

Verde Elementary is still around in West Boca. I can't believe it's 3rd grade for Joshua. I know it's going to be tough academically for him. I hope he will be okay.